1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to seals and more particularly to a bottle seal.
2. Prior Art
Bottle seals constituting stoppers constructed of flexible or resilient material have long been used. One well known type of seal has an upper section which forms a radially outwardly extending surface for sealingly abutting against the top end face of the bottle neck. A lower stopper section is formed as an axial extension of the upper section and is capable of being inserted into the interior of the bottle neck in a manner which seals the neck opening by contact against the interior diameter wall of the neck.
Such bottle seals have been used in the past in connection with flow systems wherein the bottle seal is to be pierced by a liquid withdrawal pin or needle. In such cases the central area of the seal is provided with at least one slit which receives and guides a liquid removal pin or needle. Also, in such constructions, it has been known to provide an overall clamp member, formed as an outer housing or cap, which squeezes the stopper against the bottle neck. The cap, generally made of metal, is also provided with a concentric opening for receipt of the liquid removal needle.
Bottle seals of the above described type have, in the past, been used in association with inking pumps of various capacities which are utilized to supply recording fluid or ink from a seal closed bottle to a recording apparatus such as an inker, printer or recorder.
In one known bottle seal for use in association with low fluid flow capacity pumps, the seal is equipped with a flexible tube to provide aeration of the bottle. The tube has one end at an upper side of the stopper which is open to the exterior. The other end of the tube projects into the bottle. A disadvantage of this type of seal is the fact that it is possible for liquid to leak out in the area of the flexible tube. Thus, whenever the seal at the juncture of the flexible tube and the stopper is incomplete, spillage can occur. Further during assembly of the flexible tube impurities can accumulate on the tube which impurities can thereafter become mixed with the recording fluid or ink. Such impurities, although minute, can clog the pump or the imprinting mechanism, particularly in those instances when the ink supply is being used with recording devices having very small passageways. Finally, manufacturing costs of such tube equipped stoppers are relativeluy high.
Another known type of bottle seal is used in connection with inking pumps having a relatively high flow capacity. In these constructions the flexible tube is eliminated and bottle aeration is accomplished through the ink removal needle. Because there are presently two types of pumps used, i.e. low and high flow capacities, with each requiring a different bottle seal, i.e. tube-no tube, there presently exists a possiblity of use of the wrong bottle seal for the pump being used. If such bottle seals are mistakenly exchanged, the result is that the pump cannot function properly. It would therefore be an advance in the art to provide a bottle seal which, while avoiding the disadvantages of the flexible tube seal, is usable in association with pumps of differing flow capacities.